UNSUNG STARS: Kaminski gets things done for Apponequet

LAKEVILLE — He was in danger of getting lost, but somehow he was found.

LAKEVILLE — He was in danger of getting lost, but somehow he was found.

Joe Kaminski, jack of all trades for the unbeaten Apponequet Regional football team, almost got lost in the shuffle as a beginning football player in Pop Warner.

"He was a minimum-play kid in Pop Warner and he turned out to be a three-year starter and all-conference defensive back as a junior," Lakers coach Bob Lomp said.

He failed to repeat as an all-conference player, both because he was on a team with eight others who were recognized by the league and because he sacrificed his own numbers for his team.

"This year, he kind of got lost in the shuffle because we asked him to play multiple positions." Lomp said. "He started as a backup running back, then Daryll Levesque broke his ankle and Joe had to take over that spot. 'Ski filled in and did a great job.

"He played on defense all year. He was an all-conference cornerback who we took to play safety. The last two weeks (after Jack Gaynor went down), he had to learn the fullback position. He offered to play offensive line if we needed him to.

"The only stat that means anything to him is wins and losses. He doesn't have great stats, but he finds a way. He does all the little things and, when you add them up, it helps equal 10-0."

By Kaminski's own assessment, this has been a weird year, but no more weird than his journey from his football beginnings.

"In Pop Warner, I was a third-string lineman who played seven plays and I was done for the game," Kaminski said.

Now, as a Laker, he doesn't get off the field at all. The reason he's played so many positions? He can.

"He's very bright and picks up schemes on both sides of the ball and helps his teammates," Lomp explained. "He understands what we're putting in. He's not a great athlete, but he has football sense.

"He plays hard and sometimes, we laugh because of what he can do against better athletes. Watching the play, he gets where he has to be. You can see it in his angles. He's a player who plays with his mind.